Highway gate



Feb. 13, 1940. w1. BUFORD 2,189,974

HIGHWAY GATE Filed May 15, 19:57 s sheets-sheet 1 V @wrm/Ma- Feb. 13, 1940. w. J. Bul-oms j HIGHWAY GATE Filedl May 15,` 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q me *JMS @n e o @n E nml @n n mm Qn mn Feb. 13,1940. 1 l WJBUFORD 1 2,189,974

HIGHWAY GATE Filed May l5, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I 1 31m/uc nfon '-J BuFoRD,

' N 1- o l* LO@ @163% The cable I 5 passes around the guide rollers 50 and 5l beneath the support-roller 52 for the counter-weight and then to thev guide rollers 53, 54, 55, 56 and to the drum 31. After several windings around the drum this cable then reweights remain in av stationary position, how-l ever, upon raising and lowering of the gate be,- cause there is no change in the length of the cable as it is reaved through the varioussupport and guide rollers. When thegate is in closed position, however, if a vehicle or other object should run against the gate there would-of course be a tendency for the gate to move laterally. These counter-weights resist this tendency but thegate is permitted to'movelaterally if the impact is greater than the force'required to lift these weights just described. If the impact is greater then of course the gate will move laterally, carrying the cables l5 and lli with it and raising the weights somewhat. In this mannerl there is always'the tendency to slow down the kobject causing the impact and bring it to rest. Of course whenthe object is removed the weights will return to their normal position and the gate will move to its position between the posts.

In View of the flexible nature of the gate and its support it is contended that little or no damage willbe caused to thevehicle because of its impact with it.

Fig. 6 shows a modiiied form of theinvention where the parts are the same as described inconnection with Fig. l except that the counterweights 'd and '12 have been positioned above the t surface/within the housing .80 and 8 i, respectively.

In this modication the raising andthe lowering portion ci each of the cables ifi kand i5 passes beneath one roller of the pair ci rollerssecured to the respective counterweights Iii and l2. The guide and support rollers have been realigned in order to support the weights in a position to resist lateralV movement. This construction is somewhat more economical to install because the additional excavations and iootings are unneces-v sary. There is another advantage also in that the space between the support post .li and the housing 8i and the support post 5 of the housing 8 9 can be covered so as to rigidify the structure and also to provide additional display of sign spaces such as 82 and 83, respectively. The

general arrangement and construction of Fig. 6

is the same as Fig. l, and it is not believed necessary to describe it indetail.

In operation, if the gate is placed across a highwayl at a railroad intersection an electric signal system may be installed and attached .to the railway tracksso that the circuit will be closed to energize the motor 35i when a train approaches. The operation of the motor will then lower the gate and retain it in lowered position so long as the train is vwithin the signal block. /Vhen the train leaves the block, however, the circuits are opened and may be so arranged that the motor may be reversed and the gate raised to itspcsition,

as seen in Fig. `1.

This electric signal system forms no part of the present invention because such systems are well known.

In event the motor of the operating mechanism should be inoperative when'the gate is in its lowermost position it is desirable then to raise the gate so that it will not interfere with traffic. To accomplish this the counterbalance weights 9B and 9! have been suspended in the opposite sides of posts 5 and 4, respectively. 'I'hese weights are carried by separate cables 92 and 93, respectively, which pass over the support rollers 65 and it in the top of the framework and are then connected to the ends of the gate member in a suitable Thus, ii the gate should be inoperative by its mechanism while in lower position it will only be necessary to release the clamps l1 and 22 from the cables i4 and i5 whereupon the counterweights 90 and 9i would then raise the gate by sliding these clamps along the cables ill and I5.

What is claimed is: f

i.. Agate of thecharacter described comprising in combination a gate member, cable members connectedito said gate at each end, support posts, means thereon to guide said cables, a drum. about which said cables are directed, motor means to rotate said :drum to either wind or unwind said cables whereby said gate is raised or lowered, weight members supported by said cables and movable upon impact which tends to move said gate laterally.

21. A gate of the character described comprising in combination a gate member, cable members connected to said gate at each end, support posts, means thereon to guide said cables, a drum about which said cables are directed, motor vmeans to rotate said drum to either wind or unwind said cables whereby said gate is raised or lowered, weight members` supported by said cables and movable upon impact which tends to move said gate laterallygandan additional set of weights and cables connected to said gate and arranged to raise the gate when it is released from said rst cables. l

3. A gate of the character described comprising in combination a gate member, cable members connected to'said gate at each end, support posts, means thereon to guide said cables, a drum about which said cables are directed, motor means to rotate said drum -to either wind or unwind said cables whereby said gate is raised or lowered, weightmembers supported by said cables and movable upon impact which tends to move said gate laterally, said weight members being disposed adjacent each of said support posts. t

4. A gate of the character described comprising in `combination a gate member, a closed cable member 'connected to said gate at each end, and connected to the gate from above and below, support posts, means thereon to guide said cables, a drum about which said cables are directed, yielding means for applying a force to each flight oi each of the cables to maintain the cables taut and to yield when a lateral impact is imparted to the `gate member, motor means to rotate said drum to either wind orunwind said cables whereby said gate is raised or lowered.

5. A gatejofthe character described comprising lin combination a gate member, a closed cable each end' connected to` one of said cables, a drum about which each of "said cables is passed forv ing said gate 'when the gate is released from" the cable members.

6. A' gate of the character describeclr comprising spacedy vertical supportsa frame construction across the topsof said supports to provide display surfaces, to ri'gidify the structurepand to form a housing, a pair of spaced guide rollers on each of said supports, an endless cable member passing over each of said pairs of rollers, a exble gate m member between said supports, said gate having` frictional engagement therewith, a motor means for driving said ldrurrrvvhereby the` gate may be raised into or .lowered from said housing, and a Weight supported by each of said cables whereby the cable ismaintained taut andthe gate may move laterally upon impacttherewitht l WiLLIAM J.`BUF0RD. iu 

